Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2 Clinch Welcome Grand Prix

Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2 (Photo: Emma Miller)

Wayne, Il. - Horse-and-rider combinations gathered in the SmartPak Grand Prix Arena for the $5,000 Welcome Grand Prix on Thursday afternoon in the third week of Equifest.

The course for the grand prix required riders to navigate several technical lines, including a triple combination. For riders who made it to the jump-off, there were roll-backs and tight turns in store before they could make it across the finish line.

Holly Shepherd and Sky High (Photo: Emma Miller)

Striving to have a clean first round, just six pairs made it to the jump-off clear and under the time-allowed of 76 seconds. Taylor McMurtry and Quilotta 2 completed the first round clear in a speedy 63.191 seconds, the leading time going into the second round. Unfortunately, the pair knocked a rail in the jump-off, finishing with 4 faults and a time of 34.697 seconds.

Thomas Cerra and McGregor held the second fastest time in the first round of 65.339 seconds. The horse-and-rider combination also knocked a rail however, completing the jump-off in 34.941 seconds with 4 faults.

Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2, owned by Westwind Equine Training Center, finished their clear first round in 65.999 seconds, the next fastest behind Cerra and McGregor. The pair set the standard high for the jump-off, finishing double-clear with a time to beat of 34.262 seconds. In the end, no others were able to match Gassel and Quite Dark 2, and they took home the first place prize.

Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2 (Photo: Andrew Ryback Photography)

Holly Shepherd and Loretta Patterson's Sky High finished in second place behind Gassel, going double-clear with a jump-off time of 35.486 seconds. Serah Vogus and Celestina completed the top three in the grand prix, achieving double-clear rounds and crossing the finish line in the jump-off in 39.243 seconds.

The Welcome Grand Prix set the stage well for the $25,000 Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. in the SmartPak Grand Prix Arena. Preceding Saturday's competition, the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.

For more information visit www.lamplightequestriancenter.com

RESULTS
$5,000 Welcome Grand Prix

Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults / Time / R2 Faults / Time
1. Quite Dark 2 / Haley Gassel / Westwind Equine Training Center / 0 / 65.999 / 0 / 34.262
2. Sky High / Holly Shepherd / Loretta Patterson / 0 / 68.834 / 0 / 35.486
3. Celestina / Serah Vogus / Serah Vogus / 0 / 70.045 / 0 / 39.243
4. Cumana / Mattie Hatcher / Mattie Hatcher / 0 / 66.828 / 4 / 34.497
5. Quilotta 2 / Taylor McMurtry / Taylor McMurtry / 0 / 63.191 / 4 / 34.697
6. McGregor / Thomas Cerra / Thomas Cerra / 0 / 65.339 / 4 / 34.941
7. Bull Run's Levi / Bryn Sadler / Showcase 81 LLC / 4 / 64.802
8. Kingston / Jordan Gilchrist / Jordan Gilchrist / 4 / 65.074
9. Hit Me Van't Zorgvliet / Michael Tokaruk / Ilan Ferder / 4 / 65.494
10. Cristiano / Mattie Hatcher / Mattie Hatcher / 4 / 66/736
11. Compis / Stephen Foran / Lauren Robishaw / 4 / 67.337
12. Ilan / Michael Tokaruk / Maarten Huygens / 4 / 67.409